St. Petersburg (December 3, 2009) - More than 10 elite oceanographic
institutions in St. Petersburg have joined together to collaborate and enhance
the visibility of one of St. Petersburg's key industries. Today, Mayor Rick
Baker announced the formation of the St. Petersburg Ocean Team, www.spoceanteam.org.

The St. Petersburg Ocean Team comprises the premier consortium for marine
science, oceanographic, and environmental research agencies and institutions in
the Southeast and is one of the top such industry clusters in the nation. St.
Petersburg Ocean Team members include: USF-St. Petersburg, USF's College of
Marine Science and its Center for Ocean Technology, USF's Research Foundation,
SRI St. Petersburg, Florida Institute of Oceanography, International Ocean
Institute - USA, Tampa Bay Estuary Program, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration's National Marine Fisheries Service, U.S. Geological Survey
Center for Coastal and Wetland Studies, the Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission's Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, The City of St.
Petersburg, The Pier Aquarium, and United States Coast Guard Sector St.
Petersburg.

These team members, along with related agencies and businesses, will work
together to raise awareness in the community and nationwide about the member
organizations and the research that they do.

The St. Petersburg Ocean Team will also allow for team members to pool their
collective staff expertise, infrastructure, and research capabilities so that
member organizations can better address numerous issues facing the State of
Florida and the nation including: red tides, hurricanes, climate change, and
offshore oil and gas exploration.

"The agencies, institutions, and businesses of the St. Petersburg Ocean
Team have long been key components of St. Petersburg's economic vitality,"
said Mayor Rick Baker. "Formalizing the connection between the team
members will allow for greater opportunities to partner and collaborate while
still allowing for each organization to continue their individual mission. The
Ocean Team will also amplify the team members' collective impact on the
scientific community in addition to their economic impact on the city,
surrounding region, and the entire state."

Industry "clusters", like the Ocean Team, are groups of competing,
complementary, and interdependent firms and institutions that are located near
one another. In the case of the Ocean Team, these agencies have found a home in
St. Petersburg's Bayboro Harbor. These cluster organizations draw productive
advantages from their proximity and connections as well as the similarities
between their workforce and vendor needs.

"The St. Petersburg Ocean Team is one of the most important economic
drivers in St. Petersburg," said Economic Development Director Dave
Goodwin. The St. Petersburg Ocean Team and its related cluster agencies and
businesses employ over 800 people and have an annual payroll in excess of $24
million. The continued growth of the St. Petersburg Ocean Team and its members
will mean that like-minded research institutions and agencies, as well as
businesses seeking to capitalize on technology transfer, will continue to
locate nearby, magnifying the synergies between the organizations. "SRI
St. Petersburg's recent relocation to St. Petersburg is a perfect illustration
of that," said Goodwin, "and is typical of the type of synergy that
collaborative organizations such as the Ocean Team can accomplish."

"The University of South Florida's College of Marine Science is proud to
be a member of the St. Petersburg Ocean Team," said Dean William Hogarth,
Ph.D. "This recognition of as well as the future growth of the synergies
between the various team members will mean an even greater opportunity for our
students and faculty to build partnerships that will expand not only their
research capabilities but also the relevance this research has to greater
societal issues."